book.wormIF-Sizzlerz

Alaap turned to look at the source of the sound, and found his 5 yr old sister
sitting in the back seat in shock. He sniggered at
her. Prachi looked at her brother and pouted, which
somehow made her older brother smile even more. She turned to the elderly man
sitting next to her.

Prachi sadly: "Mishraji, my
balloon."

She took the remnants of the
balloon and dangled it in front of his face.

Mishraji: "No more, Prachi.
That was the second balloon. Look at Alaap, he still
has his balloon."

Alaap smiles proudly.

Prachi looks down in shame:
"Sorry."

Mishraji: "It's okay."

Prachi: "Will you get me
another balloon?"

Mishraji: "No."

Prachi: "Please,
Mishraji."

Mishraji: "No, Prachi. You
can't always have whatever you want in life."

Prachi becoming adamant: "But
I want balloon."

Alaap: "Mama is right. You are
too much trouble. And no one will marry you, if you are like this. And poor
Papa will have a tough time finding a man who will have you."

Alaap was quite proud of himself,
not only was he able to repeat his mother's exact words, he was able to give
Prachi that exact expression that their mother gave Prachi while saying this.

Prachi's eyes filled with tears,
and she said softly: "I will find a man to marry me."

Mishraji sighs. Alaap and Prachi
were like his own children. For him, they and Milind were no different. But
more than Milind and Alaap, Prachi was closer to him. She confided in him
everything all her secrets, her fear, her insecurities. And she had confided in
him, more than once, her fear of never finding a man who will have her, and her
poor Papa going in search for a man who will marry her. And the last time, when
she had confided in him, she had found the perfect solution to her problem, she
will herself, find the man who will marry her, and save her Papa all the
trouble.

Prachi's tears were one thing that
he cud never see.

Mishraji: "On our way back we
will buy you a new balloon."

Prachi immediately smiles, and hugs
him: "Thank you, Mishraji."

Alaap again imitating his mother:
"You are the one who is spoiling her."

They reach Mishraji's chawl.

Mishraji: "I have some work
here, I will come back soon."

Alaap and Prachi both nod their
heads.

Mishraji: "Prachi, don't get
out of the car."

Prachi though irritated, as he had
issued that order solely at her and not Alaap, she
decided not to make a fuss, else she won't get her balloon. So, she simply
nods.

After, Mishraji leaves, the driver
also goes out. Suddenly, Alaap sees some children playing, a little further
away.

Alaap: "Prachi, I am going to
play with them."

Prachi: "Even I am
coming."

Alaap: "No, only boys are
playing. And remember what Mishraji said?"

Prachi feels bad: "Then, can I
play with your balloon?"

Alaap: "No, you will burst it
like your other two balloons."

Prachi: "I will be
careful."

Alaap: "No."

Alaap got out of the car and
started walking, and then he stopped midway and looked back. He found his
little sister sitting there with a sad face. Alaap didn't know why, but
whenever he sees his sister upset, he feels bad. So he walks back, and opens
the door on her side, and gives her the balloon.

Alaap: "Be careful, and I want
it back when I come back."

Prachi smiles immediately, and
gives him a kiss on his cheeks, and takes the balloon.

Prachi: "Thank you bhaiyya."

Alaap smiles and walks off. Five
minutes later, Alaap was so immersed in his game, that he didn't hear anotherTAPPsound.

Prachi immediately got off the car
and ran towards Mishraji's house. But, only after she had reached the inner
part of the chawl did she realize that she didn't know where his house was.
Prachi turned back to go back to her car, when she realized that she could no
longer see her car, and she cudn't remember which way she had come now. She
stood there in fear, and then did the only thing, any normal 5 yr old wud do in
such a situation. She wailed.

Two
eleven year's old boys were walking, when they heard some people
talking and arguing and also a child wailing. Their curiosity was raised, and
they walked towards the source. They found a crowd, and walked towards them.
Looked like they were circling a child and they both peeped in. They saw a girl
standing right in the middle, could only see her back. She was crying, and she
was not letting anyone get near her, may be because of the fear of strangers.
This was of no interest to them.

"We will go. They might have
already started playing."

He was about to turn and walk off,
when he heard a small girl screaming out his name "MILIND!"

He turned back again, and that's
when he saw the girl's face.

Milind confused and shocked:
"Prachi!!!! What are you doing here?"

Prachi immediately pushed all the
people standing around her, and ran towards Milind, and Milind was trying to
walk towards her when, people started asking him questions regarding the girl.
He was about to answer them, when he felt someone hug him tightly. Immediately,
he turned pink.

Milind a little embarrassed, and
trying to untangle her hands, which stuck like glue around his neck. The girl
only reached till his chest, and was puny but had a death grip: "Prachi,
what are you doing here?"

Prachi wailing: "I lost
Mishraji, I lost bhaiyya and I lost the car."

Milind trying to calm her:
"Baba is there at home, do you want me to take
you to him?"

Prachi stops crying, starts roughly
wiping off her tears and then nods her head in yes, then in no.

Prachi: "He will be angry with
me. He told me not to get out of the car."

Milind: "So, you want to go
back to your car?"

Prachi nods, then starts crying
again: "I lost the car."

Milind: "It will be outside
only, I will take you."

Prachi immediately stops crying.

Milind asks her to follow him, and
starts walking, few seconds later, he feels someone taking hold of his hand and
looks down to see Prachi holding his hand, and trying to keep up with his pace,
he immediately slows down. As if sensing him looking at
her, she looks up at him, and smiles at him. His heart fluttered, he thought it was because of
the afternoon sun, but still smiled back at her.

Finally they reached outside, and
found her car. Prachi was ecstatic. She was about to run inside the car, when
she remembered the reason why she left the car in the first place. She burst
out crying.

Milind a little irritated:
"Now what happened?"

Prachi points at
the remaining of Alaap's balloon lying on the seat: "Bhaiyya's
balloon."

Milind: "Did you…."

He was not able to finish his
question; Prachi had thrown herself at him again.
Milind was immediately embarrassed, and saw Ali laughing at
him. Milind was getting really irritated now, he was supposed to be playing,
but he was late because of Ali, then he had to help Prachi, and to top it all
off, the girl kept hugging him for no reason! Even though he didn't mind it as
much as he showed, still it was quite shocking since, she has never hugged him
before. No one hugs him now. Not even his Baba, as he was a big man now. Only,
kids hugged.

And Prachi is a kid.

Then, he felt bad, Prachi had got
lost, and she might have been scared, and he was the only one she knew. And
that's why she clung to him like this. Milind hugs her, and tries to console
her. Ali's mouth dropped open when he saw the way Milind was treating that
annoying girl, who looked for a reason to cry. Their school bully was acting
like a mother hen now!

Prachi between her sobs:
"Bhaiyya will scream at me."

Milind said solemnly: "I won't
let anyone scream at you."

Prachi moved her head back, but was
still cocooned in his hug: "You promise?"

Milind: "I promise."

Prachi smiles at
him, and he smiles back.

Prachi looks into his eyes, with
unshed tears but full of trust: "Will you get me a balloon for bhaiyya, so
he won't know?"

Milind: "Okay. I have one at home. I will go get it. You stay here…okay?"

Prachi: "Okay."

Milind asks Ali to keep an eye on
Prachi, who still hadn't come out of his shock, just nods his head.

Milind ran all the way home, and
went to his room, and raised his mattress, and found the balloon, he had hid
there yesterday. He had planned to fill it with egg yokes, and throw it at his rival in school. In fact, he was planning to mix the
egg yokes today, so tomorrow it will smell even worse, when he threw it at Vikas. But now, it doesn't look like he will be able to
carry out his plan tomorrow. With a shrug, he kept the open end of the balloon at his lips, and started blowing into it, filling it with
air. Once it was big enough, he tied it at the end,
and ran all the way back towards Prachi.

By the time he reached her, he was
out of breath. He gave the balloon to Prachi, and she looked at it and started crying.

Milind shocked: "Now, what
happened?"

Prachi stops crying: "That is
blue."

Milind: "So?"

Prachi: "Bhaiyya's is
red."

Milind sighs. He obviously hadn't
thought of the color, when he had promised to get her a balloon.

Milind helplessly: "I don't
have any other."

Prachi started crying.

Milind feeling bad: "Don't
cry. I have the money baba gave me to buy chocolates, we will buy you a balloon
with that."

Prachi: "What about your
chocolates?"

Milind shrugs: "It's okay. I
will buy chocolates tomorrow."

Milind takes Prachi with him, so
this time he doesn't make any mistake in the color of the balloon. Ali who was
even more shocked with the events of the day, just tagged along not wanting to
miss out on anymore surprises. What if Milind decides to sing a lullaby for the
girl if she cries? He was not going to miss that for anything in the world. Milind
turns back to see Ali following them.

Milind: "Why don't you go and
join the others for the game? I will handle this."

Ali: "No, I will come with
you."

Milind saw the evil glint in Ali's
eyes, and knew that soon he was going to be the butt of all the jokes. Milind
glares at Ali.

Milind: "Go play, Ali."

Milind's tone suggested that, if
Ali didn't do as he said, Ali was going to be in deep sh*t later. Ali with disappointment
walks off, man he was enjoying it so much till now.

Milind got Prachi the balloon, and
this time they managed to get the exact color. Now, that Prachi had the
balloon, she was happy though she asked him to hold it, in fear that she might
burst this one also.

Milind was walking in one hand he
had two balloons and other hand he had Prachi's hand. When they almost reached
her car, Prachi moves closer to him, squeezing his hand with one hand and
grabbing his shirt with the other, he looked down at her,
and saw her watching a rag picker.

Milind wearily: "What
happened?"

Prachi scared: "He will take
me away."

Milind: "Now, why would he do
that?"

Prachi as if he didn't know
anything, explains to him: "His sack is full of bad children. When he sees
bad children, he takes them away."

Milind : "Who told you
that?"

Prachi: "Mama. (Moving a
little more closer to him) Don't let him take me away.. okay?"

Milind smiles: "Why would he
take you away? Are you bad?"

Prachi immediately looks down and
whispers: "Mama says that I am too much trouble, and no one will want to
marry me. And Papa will have a tough time finding a husband for me."

Milind kneels down, and lifts her
head and sees her face. Her eyes were filled with tears. His heart went out to
her. He smiles tenderly: "Well looks like your mama doesn't know
anything."

Prachi confused and a little
offended: "Why?"

Milind: "Who wouldn't want to
marry you?"

Prachi: "Mama said no one will
marry me."

Milind: "Only if everyone is
fools."

Prachi: "Why would anyone want
to marry me? I am too much trouble."

Milind: "Why wouldn't anyone
want to marry such a beautiful girl?"

Prachi gives him a magnificent
smile.

Milind: "Oh God! A beautiful
girl with the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. So now you see, only a
fool wouldn't want to marry you."

Prachi: "Are you a fool?"

Milind a little shocked, but
continues smiling: "No."

Once, they reached her car. Milind
gives her one balloon, then looks at her, and sees
her watching him with so much admiration.

Milind: "Do you want this
also?"

Prachi nods her head. He gives her
the other balloon and was about to walk off when she holds his hand, he turns
back and looks at her wondering what she wanted now.
She keeps pulling his hand, finally he understands that she wants him to kneel down
to her level and he obliges.

Prachi smiles: "Thank you,
Milind."

And she kisses him on his cheek.
Milind was too shocked to react at first, and then he
just smiles at her and ruffles her hair and walks
off.

As Milind walks off, Alaap came
there and sees Prachi watching Milind in admiration.

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